


Sixth Sense

by btamamura



Series: NatSyo [4]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Comfort, Crying, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/btamamura/pseuds/btamamura
Summary: Over the years he's known Natsuki, Syo developed something of a sixth sense to know when the older male needed a hug. Here are some moments Syo recalls where it applied.





	Sixth Sense

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Uta no Prince-sama or any canon characters. They are the property of their respective owners.
> 
> Notes: This idea has nagged at me for the last few weeks, but I needed to focus on a different fic, and writing mojo was slightly low, so...yeah. It was finally done after some time.
> 
> Established NatSyo is present here, so this has a slash warning. No swearing this time, so that warning doesn't apply. There is possible OOC.
> 
> In any case, if those warnings haven't scared you away, I hope you enjoy!

Somehow, it had become like a sixth sense to him as the years flew by. 

Syo contemplated this as he tenderly carded his fingers through wavy blond locks and heard a quiet sigh in response to his affectionate ministrations. He felt arms tighten around his waist, and in turn he ran his other hand up and down the other's back.

It certainly wasn't the first time they'd been in such a situation, and as long as both were alive, he doubted it would be the last.

How many times since they were small children had it been? If he asked that of the one nuzzling into the crook of his neck, he'd probably hear a number that would likely be an accurate estimate. But, for himself, he lost count long ago.

There was no need to keep count anyway, it didn't make them any less special.

~*~

When he was five and Natsuki was seven, they had competed in concours. He'd declared Natsuki to be his rival, and he hated that the boy, two years his senior, was just so good when he used to be one of the best. He felt the age difference was an unfair advantage.

But, then came a day he won and the older boy had performed poorly. That victory felt hollow, even at that age. He would've felt better if the other had played seriously. 

He hadn't.

"Excuse me, have you seen our Natsuki?" a woman asked of the stage crew.

That got his attention. _Come to think of it, after his sloppy playing, he didn't hang around. Where is he?_

"The poor dear's been through a lot lately, we should've had him miss today's competition, but he insisted on coming," the woman added in a softer tone.

Kaoru approached him, his own violin in its case. "Syo-chan, did you see where Shinomiya-san went?"

He shook his head. He wasn't Natsuki's keeper, why should he know where he'd run off to?

"Apparently he insisted on coming today to see you."

He cast a wide-eyed glance to his brother. "What did you say?"

"I overheard his parents talking to our mom. They've been having family trouble, but he thought seeing you would help cheer him up."

"I gotta go." He handed his violin, in case, to his brother and ran off. While he didn't know exactly where the older boy would be, he had a hunch.

"Syo-chan?!"

***

As he thought. The boy was sitting under a tree, legs pulled to his chest and instrument case by his side. "Oi, Natsuki!"

He slowly looked up and saw the younger boy running over to him. His eyes widened before he ducked his head. 

He panted as he fought to regain his breath, then stood firm, hands on his hips. "What the heck, Natsuki? Your mom is backstage and asking where you are! You just up and left and now you have everyone worried!"

He shook his head.

"Let's go back."

"I can't."

"Natsuki?"

"I'm too ashamed. I was terrible today. What if everyone is cross with me? I only played like that as a beginner."

He sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, it was pretty bad. What happened? I've thought about it, and I now know you wouldn't have played like that unless something was wrong."

"...it's my grandmama in France. She was put in hospital earlier this week. She passed away last night. I couldn't go and visit her. I wanted to see her and do what I could to make her happy." He turned slightly. "Like I did when you were in hospital last month."

"Oh." He looked to his feet. "Sorry for your loss."

"When I was playing today, I couldn't stop thinking about how lonely she must've been. My aunt and uncle would've visited her, but..."

"Somehow, she felt less lonely if it was you. I get it. I felt like that too whenever Kaoru couldn't be with me. One time, when we were three, he caught a cold so he wasn't allowed to visit me. Even though Mom and Dad did, I still felt lonely."

He nodded. "And when I realised how many mistakes I'd made, I thought about how I'd let her down. So, after I finished, I ran off."

Syo heard him inhale shakily and turned to see him hide his face in his arms. "Why did you come here today? To the concours, I mean."

"I thought...I thought seeing you might...might make me f-feel better. B-But, when I...I played like that, I..."

"Because I once told you that one day, we'd both play our best but I would win."

"And I let you down too..."

"I'm angry about winning like this. But, you didn't let me down. It took a lot to get on the stage and keep going even after everything. I'm actually proud of you for that."

He whipped his head up and cast a teary gaze at him. "Syo-chan..."

He shifted onto his knees and pulled the taller boy into a hug. He rubbed his back as he heard him let out quiet sobs. "We should go back. Your mom is worried."

Natsuki shook his head again as he pulled Syo close.

"After you've finished crying. Okay?"

He nodded.

~*~

There was another concours where Syo knew something was wrong. Natsuki seemed less like his usual self. He noticed any smiles he gave were tired. What stood out was the change in instrument. He asked Kaoru if he knew the story behind the change.

"I heard grown-ups talking about it. He's seeing a new teacher because something happened."

Syo looked over to Natsuki and saw him converse with an unfamiliar adult. "His new teacher?"

Kaoru nodded. 

"What did happen?"

"I don't know everything about it. But, she became famous with a new song. One grown-up said Shinomiya-san claimed to have composed the song."

"I believe that. Natsuki's smart, he's always been talented. I wouldn't put composition above him."

"But, do you believe he composed that song?"

"I don't know. But, I do know something...Natsuki's too honest to lie about something like that. If what the grown-up said about him is true..."

Kaoru hummed in thought.

***

Syo sighed as Natsuki wrapped up his performance. There was something missing, but he didn't know what. It just wasn't the same as his past performances, save that one unfortunate. 

"Something was different, and I don't mean how he now plays viola."

Syo nodded in agreement to his brother's words. "Yeah. It was a great performance, but something's off."

Natsuki came backstage. He saw the confused looks on the twins' faces and just shared a tired smile.

Syo grabbed Natsuki's wrist and led him somewhere they could talk alone.

***

"How was it, Syo-chan?"

"A great performance! But, something was different."

"Well, I do play viola now, not violin."

"Not that. Something else." His head started to ache from thinking too hard about it. "I don't know what, but, it was off."

Natsuki shrugged. 

Syo didn't like that response. He didn't like seeing tired smiles instead of those bright enough to outshine the sun. He didn't like the slightly subdued tone the older boy was using, knowing he was usually boisterous and full of life. "Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "No."

"You sure? Why are you playing viola now?"

"I just needed a change."

"What about your old teacher?"

"She is unable to take on students."

There was something about those responses that rubbed him the wrong way. But, it seemed Natsuki wasn't going to admit the whole truth. He could keep pushing for answers, but that would only hurt the situation.

"Syo-chan, nothing is wrong. Really."

He knew Natsuki was honest, but he felt like those words were a lie. Maybe the older boy had convinced himself that all was well, but it wasn't.

"Syo-chan?"

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his head against his chest. "I feel like there is though. I don't know what, but something is wrong."

Natsuki returned the embrace slowly, surprised Syo had just hugged him like that. He'd usually be the one having to pursue the younger boy just to be able to give him a hug, yet Syo just stepped right up and wrapped his arms around him.

"And I feel like you really need a hug right now. I don't know why."

Natsuki felt the arms tighten around him. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. "Thank you, Syo-chan."

~*~

Syo knew Natsuki had a test coming up, the older boy had been studying a lot for it. It even cut into play time.

He turned to the older boy as he reviewed his spelling list. "Need help with that?"

Natsuki looked up at him. He beamed and handed him the list.

Syo looked at the words. "These are big words. How do you manage to remember how to spell them?"

"Practice. Like when playing the viola."

He hummed in consideration as he heard the older's response. "Okay, try this word." He called it in a clear voice.

Nervousness filled those large, green eyes hidden behind glass lenses. It was a word he kept having trouble with, and that moment was no exception.

Syo shook his head.

"Ah. I messed that one up again?"

"Again?"

"I can never get that word."

Syo shifted beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Like you said, it takes practice."

"How do you spell it?"

He showed him the word on the list.

Natsuki nodded as he read it.

"Are there other words you have trouble with?"

He nodded and pointed to one.

"How do you even say that?"

Natsuki sounded it out. "But the way it sounds and the way to spell it is different."

"Huh." He set down the list and wrapped his other arm around the boy.

"Syo-chan?"

"You seemed like you needed it. Some of these words are hard, and it felt like you were starting to feel like if you got more words like that, you'd fail the test."

He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy firmly. "How did you know?"

"I'm not sure. I just...I guess I know you too well?"

~*~

They were performing a rearrangement their first hit song, along with everyone else present. Emotions were running high, mostly elation.

Syo took time to look over to Natsuki, to see how he was handling such intense feelings present in the one venue and saw a wide smile that he hoped to never see erased from his features. But, he also sensed something. Something familiar, something he had learned to detect when they were young children.

He couldn't act on it, not while they were onstage. He'd have to wait until the show was over.

So, when they got home that night, Syo wrapped his arms around his waist the minute their dorm room door had closed after they'd entered their room. They had time before Ai would return and insist they get to bed as they still had schedules to follow the next day.

Natsuki placed his hands atop Syo's as the younger teenager hugged him from behind. "Is something wrong, Syo-chan?"

"I felt like you needed this."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But, it's been like this since we were kids. I just...know."

He turned so he was facing him and returned the embrace, kissing him atop his head. "Do you feel like you completed your task?"

"Yeah. I feel like I did what I had to. Maybe I had to be the one to initiate the hug this time."

Natsuki hummed in content before giving him another kiss.

"It wasn't that you were sad, not this time. You were just too happy!" Syo murmured against Natsuki's lips.

~*~

Which brought them to where they were that night. Syo had noticed Natsuki had been working very hard that week and almost seemed to never get even a moment to himself. When the older man entered their Master Course dorm room, Syo knew something wasn't right. So, he had him sit on the bed, knelt on the bed between his legs and wrapped his arms around him. 

Natsuki exhaled shakily as he gripped Syo, careful not to squeeze the life out of him, and finally released the pent up stress and frustrations he'd been feeling in the form of shivers, sighs, sobs and tears.

Syo continued his gentle, affectionate ministrations through it all and didn't stop, even after Natsuki had managed to calm down. He didn't want to. He wanted to keep holding him, keep running his fingers through wavy hair, keep gently stroking up and down his back, keep giving him kisses where he could reach.

Knowing when Natsuki needed a hug had become a sixth sense, but after falling in love with the older man, he found it harder to let go every single time.

**Author's Note:**

> After notes: This one underwent a few revisions, but I hope you found the final result satisfactory.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos are always appreciated, and while I won't ask for comments, I do request no flames, please.


End file.
